The Collect
O GOD, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle (Romans viii. 18)
I RECKON that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
The Gospel (St. Luke vi. 36)
BE ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
Trinity IV - Message in a Minute
The last part of this morning's Gospel lesson is directed at people who tend to be critical of others. Jesus is saying that if you are mercilessly critical of others, that is a sure signal that there is something about yourself that you have not dealt with.
That is what he means by the mote and the beam -- the speck and the log. He cautions us not to be too quick to tell other people what is wrong with them, and how, in our great wisdom, we might be able to help them out. Jesus suggests that when we are tempted in that direction, we should first ask ourselves, "is it possible that the thing that drives me crazy about this other person may be something of which I am guilty -- but I would rather point it out in him than face it in myself?"
His advice is, of course, to face it in ourselves, confess it, and try with the Holy Ghost's help to do something about it. Then we shall be ready to straighten everybody else out. He concludes, rather acidly, "Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye."
Take heed of Christ's words, it is later than you think.
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